Today is world book day! So Divorce Club is suggesting some great books about divorce you can read with your child.
Reading with your child is a lovely experience and it is also a very calming space to talk about difficult topics like divorce. Here are some books that we and our members recommend that you can read with your child.
We also suggest you ask them to reflect on what they read with simple questions like, “Is that how you feel?” or “What is it like for you having to share to homes?”
Two Homes by Claire Masurel. Ages 3-8
This book is about a boy called Alex who has two homes (his father and mother’s). The book explains how there is some stability (e.g. he has toothbrushes at both) and that both parents love him – always. Nice illustrations show that the two different houses have space for him and that he is allowed to like both places and both parents.
Mum and Dad Glue by Kes Gray.
Ages 4-9
A little boy is on the hunt for a pot of special glue that will stick his parents back together and make them smile again. Nice illustrations and rhyme help to convey the message that even though his parents’ marriage might be broken, their love for him is not.
It’s Not Your Fault, Koko Bear: A Read-Together Book for Parents and Young Children During Divorce by Vicki Lansky Ages 3-7
KoKo loveable bear (unisex) who is sad that his parents are divorcing. However, he learns that the sad feelings will pass and that the divorce is not his fault. He is also told that he will continue to be loved by both parents, even though they do not live with each other.
Clean Break by Jaqueline Wilson. Ages 9-11
Emily adores her father but his attempts at seeing them are somewhat chaotic and unreliable. Emily wonders whether it is worth seeing him or not and uses the analogy of putting up with her own broken arm.
Candy Floss by Jaqueline Wilson. Ages 9-11
Floss lives with her mum and her mum’s new husband, and her half brother. She sees her father 2 days a week and adores both parents. When her step-father propose that they all go to Australia for 6 months, Floss feels too guilty to go and leave her sad father behind, even though she would love to see this exciting country.
Things take a turn for the worse when her father’s business runs out of money. However, the resourceful Floss manages to find a way to survive this tricky situation.
It’s Not the End of the World by Judy Blume Ages 10-13
Karen feels as though her world is falling apart as her Dad suddenly announces that he is moving out and his mother seems ok with this. She is desperate to try and keep them together. Throughout the book, Karen begins to realise that perhaps it is for the best that her parent’s split and that she will get through this difficult time.